


Forced Love

by Meynara



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Arranged Marriage, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Although honestly Lotor's already Royalty but, Lotor Spring Exchange 2018, M/M, it plays into things so I put it here
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-02
Updated: 2018-03-02
Packaged: 2019-03-25 22:29:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13844340
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Meynara/pseuds/Meynara
Summary: When it's decided that a marriage is needed to unite human and elvenkind under one banner, it was easy to decide half of the pair to be married. Who else but Prince Lotor would be the best of the best for the elves?It was harder to figure out who would be the best fit from the humans, but an attempt is made, and maybe they've struck gold?





	Forced Love

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [Movite H.](http://the-painting-halfling.tumblr.com/) on tumblr for the [Lotor Spring Exchange](https://lotorspringexchange.tumblr.com/) event!

“It’s crazy, isn’t it? Two complete strangers who know _nothing_ about each other being brought together like this.” Frowning, Lotor tried to ignore the noise going on behind him, the blathering coming from his soon to be husband, but even if he wasn't one to just agree...

 

...well, he sort of had to agree. "I suppose so, though I wasn't exactly caught unawares. Not like _you_ seem to have been. How is it that you weren't aware of the fact you would be married off at some point?"

 

The brunet scowled, crossing his arms as he moved to stand beside the purple hued elf. "Because I'm not royalty. I'm not nobility. I'm... _nothing_ , compared to you all. Normally, we're left to our studies, not taken from our master and thrust in a coach and sent off like a pig to the slaughter."

 

"You're exaggerating, Lance." The elven prince turned to look at the human, taking him in with the faintest hint of a smirk. "You will be well cared for as my consort, I can promise you that. And I wouldn't dream of forcing you to stop your studies, beyond what is necessary to keep up appearances. There will be duties to be carried out, but I would not keep you from your calling beyond that. Even then, those duties are few and far between. So calm yourself."

 

Lance took a deep breath, then another, closing his eyes before leaning over the rail of the balcony the two of them were standing on. "It's just, hard. I mean, why did they slap the two of us together like this in the first place? You're calm, so I guess this is pretty normal for you but...it's not normal for me. Everything's been flipped upside down and I've already had that once in my life. I definitely didn't expect it a second time, especially while I was still a Journeyman. I mean, technically a Journeyman Wizard isn't supposed to marry regardless, but I guess some things can't be helped. But I still -- I still don't know, why? I was just, thrown out here, told 'do this' and that was it."

 

Soft humming was the only answer Lance got from the Prince for a long moment, feeling warmth touching him as he moved to stand beside the shorter man. "They truly didn't explain it to you?" His voice was soft -- softer than Lance had expected it to be, especially pointed in his direction. "It's simple, really. Your people...they don't have royalty, as I'm sure you're aware. But there have been movements as of late to bring elves and humans closer together. So, your human council along with the royal council came together and decided this would be the best way to bring that about."

 

"Well, at least you knew something about it," Lance exhaled, holding a hand out in front of him, twirling it about in the air, causing a small burst of wind to go with the movements, the burst quickly dying down to little more than a gentle breeze. "I need to write to Coran, let him know I got here safe, see if he can come and well...continue teaching me. He looked more than a little worried as I was just, taken away. He definitely didn't know about it, either."

 

"I knew about it, but I didn't get any more say in it than you. The moment they said a merging of our families, I knew it would be me. My Father would never take another to his bed. My Mother is unable to bear children. Thus...it would have to be me. Wheras for humans...there were many they could have chosen. My...desires **were** taken into account, but ultimately I did not get to make the final choice."

 

"Oh. Well. We really are in this together then, I guess, huh."

* * *

 

 

_"Dearest Coran, I'm writing to invite you to the Palace. I've been promised to Prince Lotor, as a bargaining chip of sorts, to somehow bring humans and elves together, but he supports my continuation of my studies. The date of our wedding hasn't been decided yet, as there are many things I must learn before they will hold the ceremony, but I would appreciate what help you could give me in the capacity of my master. I miss you and Allura, please write back at your earliest convenience. Your pupil, Lancelot Morningstar."_

 

Writing on parchment was irritating as could be, but it was the safest way to send messages still. While in theory, Lance could summon a construct, he couldn't guarantee that it would remain long enough to get to his master and his master's ward. Couriers would take longer, but...this way, the message would certainly make it.

 

Sprinkling powder over the parchment to dry the ink, he waited a moment before folding the parchment over and putting a plain wax seal over it. It wasn't often that he bothered with such a thing but, well. When needs must.

 

Smiling, the wizard handed the message over to the courier that had been left for him by Lotor, receiving a salute from the much taller elf before he left. Awkwardly, the man scratched at the back of his head before leaving the small library like room he had been in, seeking the outdoors. Even if there were things he needed to learn, it seemed no one was available to teach him said things, so he would keep himself occupied.

 

And what better way to do that than by going outside to practice his craft?

 

Stepping outside the palace, away from the walls and man-made objects that lay within, he closed his eyes, feeling more than seeing his connection with the world around him. While all who practiced magic were called Wizards, there were differing specialties within that profession. He himself was a Journeyman in skill, putting him above a lowly apprentice, and able to take care of some things on his own -- but he was not yet a Master, free to work on his own, let alone an Adept, the highest one of their order could go. And while there were many things that he could do, his strongest connection was with nature, with the world around him, manipulating it to do as he wished.

 

Water went where he willed it, trees bent at his call. Grass grew taller and taller, and the winds blew ever fiercer. He had only but to ask.

 

They called this practice 'naturalism', which while simple, really did tell what it was they did. And while he couldn't work on his own, there was nothing against him practicing, especially while he was unable to reach his master just yet. Luckily, there was plenty of open space nearby, including a small stream with running water, his feet leading him straight to it even without looking, like a moth drawn to flame.

 

So focused on practice was he, that he hadn't even realized that he was being watched, a pair of eyes in the distance narrowing with distaste upon seeing the human wandering freely outside the palace grounds. Hands held open over the water, palms downward as he pulled the water up towards him, almost like a little serpent made of water, coiling about above the stream, wiggling and splashing slightly as Lance moved his hands about. The only indication he had that there was anything wrong was what seemed like a faraway shout before he found himself pushed face first into the stream with a large body on top of him.

 

Opening his mouth to protest, he found -- oh right, he was in the water, that wasn't a good idea, especially if the little fish had anything to say about it, hitting him with their tails as they swam away in time for him to be pulled back upward, sputtering and glaring when he caught sight of Lotor.

 

"--n't you hear me yelling for you?!" The purple on the elf's skin darkened in anger even as his eyes seemed worried. "It isn't safe outside the walls, if you had wanted to come out, we would have sent someone with you, Lance. I know -- I know you need space to do your...magic...but there are those who would kill you for existing."

 

"What are you talking about, nothing happened except you shoving me into the water!"

 

"Hey boss," a deep voice came from what appeared to be a rather large woman clad in armor, holding out an arrow, standing way too close to the pair for Lance's liking, his feet scrambling to push himself back. "Looks like they were gonna poison your little pet here."

 

"I am not a p--"

 

"Thank you, Zethrid," Lotor nodded, moving his grip so instead of holding onto the back of Lance's clothing, he was holding onto the human's wrist. "Find who fired the shot and take care of them, please."

 

"Right away, boss." As suddenly as she had appeared, the large woman was gone, leaving Lance confused and still rather irritated.

 

"Who was that? And how does anyone that large get around so quickly but not be noticed?" He tugged on his arm, trying to break the elf's grasp, but Lotor wasn't budging, pulling the wizard back to the palace.

 

"That was Zethrid, she is one of my entourage. She is one of my trusted few bodyguards, and she will be one of yours as well, if you allow it." Lotor's feet kept moving, his grasp refusing to loosen until they were firmly beyond the palace gates, pushing Lance against the wall just inside, careful to keep the shorter man pinned, but not harming him. "Please, please do not do this again."

 

"All I did was--"

 

"Not even a full day into our engagement, and you've already had an attempt on your life! I had thought you would realize the dangers inherent in being present in the palace, but I was mistaken." Lowering his head, Lotor pressed his forehead against Lance's, the humans brown eyes widening in response. "If that arrow had just grazed you, it's entirely possible you could have died from the poison on it. You are one of the few non-elves in the palace, and your presence here hasn't been made widely known, but if you were to be harmed? Or even, Heavens forefend, die here? It would ruin everything we're trying to establish here. I gave my word that I would keep you safe..."

 

"Well, sorry that some random person could've messed up your whole political career before it started," Lance spat out, "I was just trying to keep myself busy, okay? I didn't go out with any intention to get myself killed."

 

"That somehow makes it better?" Lotor didn't move from his position. "No, no, it doesn't. I don't promise things lightly, but I swear to you, I will do everything possible to keep you safe and happy. I want this whole situation to work for both of us. But you have to work with me, can you do that for me? Please?"

 

"...I - I guess, but, you've gotta teach me these things. I'm just a simple wizard, we don't ever have to deal with these kinds of things." Leaning his head forward, he pressed gently against the elf. "And you can't just pin me wherever you want, whether it's a wall or a stream."

 

"Oh? I can't?" Lips quirked upward into a smirk as he pulled his head back slightly, his hands still holding Lance's firmly against the stone behind him. "But I do so love the way you look, just like you're almost asking me to do _something_..."

 

"I -- what?" Lance's head pulled back, watching Lotor cautiously. "I'm not--" He was quickly cut off as Lotor leaned forward, quickly pressing their lips together, promptly causing the human to fall silent.

 

Or, well, mostly silent.

 

If there was a little bit of moaning, well, nobody would really blame him. He was the future Consort to the Elven Prince, after all. He should be able to enjoy himself.


End file.
